Process of conditioning and tempering corn for degermination and milling.



Unirnn sraras arena: ornion.

JOHN B. WATKINS, or er. LOUIS, Missonnr, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF ToESSMUELLER MILL ronnrsnrne CGMEANY, .A conronarron or MISSOURI.

PROCESS OF CONDITIONING AND TTSTITPERING CORN FOR DEGERMINATION ANDMILLING.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

Application filed December 31, 1908. Serial No. 470,238.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. WATKINS, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented certain new. and useful Improvements in Processes ofConditioning andTempering Corn for Degermination' and Milling, of whichthe following is .a specification.

My invention consists of a processof conditioning and tempering corn fordegermination and milling, and has for its object to provide a methodwhereby grains of corn ical devices now used in the art of milling.

The grains or kernels of corn having been removed from the car areintroduced to a bath of steam, preferably live steam, to the extent ofheating andn'icasurably saturating the hull, but not to the extent ofpermitting the saturation to extend inwardly beyont the hull into thebody of the grain or kernel.

The next step of my process is performed almost instantaneously upon thecompletion of the steam bath, and consists in sub ecting the grain orkernel to a bath of cold water at,

the normal temperature of running water supplied from any ordinarysource of water supply or water storage; as, from city water mains, fromwells or storage tanks. At this stage of the prorcss'thc hull has becomeloosened. from the grain or kernel but not remored therefrom; Thc'hullis then removed by suitable frictional appliances such as a huller, ascourer or rolls; the previous loosening of the hull by the earliersteps of my process enabling the removal of the hull to beaccon'iplished by a minin'ium of power, or a power considerably lessthan that required to hull grains or kernels not so treated. The hullbeing removed, the grain 'or kernel is next degcrmiuated by any of theappliances well known in the art and the grain or kernel thusdegerminated being in a warm and more orless moistened condition, it isnext dried to expel its moistureand to render the'grain or kernelmeasurably dry and conditioned for millin The grain orkernel thusdriedand conditioned is then milled to a degree of fineness regulated bythe character of the finished product desired.

The advantages of my inventionreside m the economy of the power requiredto effect the removal of the hull and germ from" the grain or kernel andin the increased saving of the more valuable granular corn products ascompared with the inferior products.

Other advantages incident to'the practice of my invention are asfollows. It is adapt-' ed to mills of small capacity inasmuch as thedegermination of the grain may be effected by light and simple apparatusof a capacity as small as two bushels per hour with economy; while inthe degermination of corn not treated by the early steps of my process,de-' germinating machinery cannot ordinarily be secured of a capacity ofless than twenty-five bushels per hour, with which minimum capacitymillii'lg cannot be accomplished economically. Again, 'by the employmentof my process, the first run of meal is of perfect whiteness, the hulland germ having theretofore been removed and without crushing or othermolecular disturbance of the body of the grain or kernel, the whitenessof the product being enhanced by the steam and water treatment employedin my process; whereas, when hulling and degermination are, as in theprior art, accomplished when the grain. or kernel is in its dry anduntreated condition, the first run of meal is yellow, from the admixtureof-the germ and hull, and the subsequent operations of milling areimpeded from the crushing or molecular disturbance efi'ected in the bodyof the grain or kernel.

By stcam. is meant true steam as the term is understood by engineers,and not mere heated vapor.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tohave secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is: p

1. The process of conditioning and tempering corn for degermination andmill ng comprising the following steps: subjecting the grains or kernelsof corn to a bath of steam: almost instantaneously thereafter subjectingthe grains or kernels to a bath of cold Water; removing the bulls byfrictional means; degerminating the grains or kernels i when hulled;drying the grains or kernels i thus degerminated; and milling theproduct i When'dried, substantially as described. l 2. The processofconditioning and tempering corn for degermination and millingcomprising the following steps: subjecting the grains 0r kernels of cornto a bath of live i steam; almost instantaneously thereafter subjectingthe grains or kernels to a bath of I JOHN B. WATKINS.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. HoPKINs, WALTER C. STEIN.

